Automatic electric switch mechanism



Oct. 29, 1940. A B PQQLE I i 2,219,372

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC swITcH MEGHANISM Filed July 28, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l #a l i mouz/1 r/a/v 35 afmmmnn uw ffyof i .59

Oct. 29, 1940. A. B. POOLE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC' SWITCH HECHANISH `Filed July 28, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PATENT OFI-*ICE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANISM Arthur B. Poole, Bristol, Conn., assignor to The E.

Ingraham Company, Bristol, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 28, 1939, Serial No. 287,096

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic electric switch-mechanisms and more particularly to automatic electric switch-mechanisms in which a plurality of rotary switchactuating members are provided, together with means for imparting intermittent or step-bystep movement thereto.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior automatic electric switchmechanism in which the timing of a plurality of rotary intermittently-moving switch-actuating members and switches which they actuate., may be conveniently effected.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior automatic electric" switchmechanism in which relative adjustment or orientation may be conveniently effected between a plurality of intermittently-driven rotary switch-actuating members on the one hand, anda plurality of electric switches on the other hand.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a switch-mechanism of the character referred to, and having a superior construction and arrangement of parts whereby its assembly and adjustment may be effected conveniently and at low cost.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of one form which an automatic electric switch-mechanism may assume in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a. transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the Aline 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the switchassembly unit, detached from the switch-actuating unit; l

Fig. 5 is an inner end view thereof;

. Fig. 6 is a broken detail sectional view taken on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view taken on the line 'l--1 of Fig. 3.

The particular automatic electric switchmechanism herein selected for'purposes of illustrating one form which the present invention (Cl. G-27) may assume, includes a disk-like front-plate III and a complemental disk-like back-plate II rigidly held in spaced relationship parallel with each other by a plurality of pillars I2. For purposes of description, the parts I0, II and I2 or their equivalents may be conveniently designated as an actuating-mechanism frame and as such, is generally designated by the reference character I3. The said frame I3 and the parts carried thereby are rotatable about a common center, for purposes as will hereinafter appear, with respect to a switch-frame generally designated by the reference character I4, and the parts carrled thereby.

Secured against the rear face of the backplate II of the actuating-mechanism frame I3, is a synchronous-electric motor-structure I5 which may be of any approved type and requiring no detailed description herein other than t0 point out that, as shown, said motor-structure is provided wih a power-output shaft I6 carrying a driving-pinion I1 and is provided with two leads I8 and I3 which may be connected to any suitable source of alternating current in the usual manner of synchronous-electric motors. The said synchronous-electric motor-structure I5 serves to impart accurately-timed rotational movement to the power-output shaft I6 and,

therefore, serves in effect as timing-means which obviously may be replaced, if desired, by any ordinary spring-operated time-movement or other suitable time-mechanism.

The driving-pinion meshes into and drives a gear-wheel 20 staked or`otherwise rigidly secured to the hub 2I of a sector-actuating pinion 22. The said sectoractuating pinion 22 together with the gearwheel 20 carried thereby, is rigidly mounted upon a shaft 23 bearing at its respective opposite ends in the front-plate III and back-plate II.

The mechanism now to be described constitutes means for translating the substantiallycontinuous rotational movement of the drivingpinion I1 or vits equivalent into an intermittent or step-by-step movement of a driven element to be more fully hereinafter described, and is more elaborately set forth in my co-pending application, Serial No. 281,806 filed June 29, 1939.

Immediately forwardly of the sector-actuating pinion 22, the shaft 23 has mounted thereon with freedom for relative rotation, an intermittentlydriven pinion 24. 'I'he saidpinion 24 is provided with a hub-portion 25 (Fig. 7) to which is rigidly staked or otherwise secured, a stop-arm generally designated by the reference character 26.

II above referred to.

The intermittently-driven pinion 24 is resillently or elastically coupled to the sector-actuating pinion 22 and hence to the gear-wheel 20 and driving-pinion I1, through the intermediary 5 of a chain of parts to be presently described, and which enables the said gear-wheel 20 to rotate constantly and effect the intermittent turning movement of the said intermittently-driven pinion'24.

,The intermittently-driven pinion 24 meshes into and drives a gear-Wheel 21 rigidly mounted upon a shaft 28 journaled at its rear end in the back-plate II, and at its forward endin a cupshaped bearing 29 carried by the front-plate I 0 and extending forwardly therefrom. Immediately forwardly of the gear-wheel 21, the shaft 28 has mounted thereon with freedom for rotation with respect thereto, a pinion 30 which extends forwardly through the front-plate I0 and has a portion of its periphery exposed through the side of the cup-shaped bearing 29 which latter is cut away for this purpose.

Secured at their outer ends, respectively, to the forward face ofthe gear-wheel 21, are two corresponding spring-metal pawls 3I-3I which engage at their respective inner ends with the portion of the pinion 30 which is located to the rear of the front-plate I0. Thesaid pawls 3I-3I thusserve to cause the'gear-wheel 21 to drive the said pinion to be turned ahead, so to speak, with respect to the said gear-wheel 21.

The pinion 30, above referred to, meshes into and drives a gear-wheel 32 (Figs. 1 and 2) rigidly' mounted upon an intermittently-driven controlshaflt 33 adjacent the inner end thereof. 'I'he said control-shaft 33 is provided with a fingerbutton 33a and is journaled for rotation at its rear end in the front-plate I0 of the actuatingmechanism frame I3 and at its outer end is journaled for rotation in a bearing 34 formed in -the end-wall 35'of the switch-frame I4. Rigidly secured to the control-shaft 33 is a plurality of control-Wheels or members 36 preferably formed in their-entirety of insulating material so as to guard against the flowage of stray currents through the mechanism.

Each of the control-wheels 36 is provided upon its periphery with -a plurality of cam-lugs 31 sep- 0 arated from each other by a similar number of clearance-notches 38 (Fig. 2). The cam-lugs 31 of a given one of the two control-wheels 36 shown, is adapted to operate its individual switch-member as will hereinafter appear.

'J5 complementing each control-wheel 36, respectively, is one of two corresponding resilient con- .tact-arms 39-39 each having an inclined camiinger 40 at its free end for engagement by 'the cam-lugs 31 of the particular control-wheel 36 60 with which it is aligned. Each of the two contact-arms 39-39 is respectively secured by means of one of two screws 4I4I to an insulatingblock 42 mounted upon `one of the .two sideflanges 43-43 of theI switch-frame I4. Each G5 flexible contact-arm 39 may have soldered thereto one of two lead-wires 44-44, respectively, extending to a device which it is desired to electri-` cally control such, for instance, as a feature of an automatic washing machine or the like.

70 Each flexible contact-arm 39 is provided about midway of its length with a movable-contact 45 (Fig. 5) adapted to periodically engage with and be disengaged from a similarly-shaped stationary-contact 46. Each stationary-contact 46 is 5 mounted at the inner end of a relatively-rigid pinion 30 in one direction but which permit the amasva contact-bracket or bus-bar 41 of U-shaped form and secured to the insulating-block 42, before referred to, by screws 48-48. One end of the busbar 41 may have clamped thereto by the adjacent one of its two screws 48, a connecting-plate 49 to which may be soldered a supply-wire 50 leading from any suitable source oi` currentsupply.

Returning now -to the stop-arm 26 before referred to, it will be noted by referencev to Fig. 7 in particular that the said stop-arm has journaled in itsouter end a latching-stud 5I having a semi-cylindrical latching-head 52 projecting forwardly beyond the front face of the stop-arm 26. The latching-head 52 oi the latching-stud 5I is adapted Ito releasably engage with a latching-post 53 rigidly mounted in the front-plate I0 and projecting rearwardly therefrom.

The latching-stud 5I which is mounted for turning movement in the outer end of the stoparm 26 has rigidly secured thereto a latch-'sector 54 meshing into the sector-actuating pinion 22 before referred to. A transmitting-spring 55 encircles the latching-stud 5I and has one of its ends 56 hooked around a stud 51 carried by the latch-sector 54. 'I'he opposite end 58 of the spring 55 is hooked over an inner portion of the stop-arm 26. As thus installed, the transmitting-spring 55 exerts a constant etl'or-t to turn the stop-arm 26 and theY parts carried at the outer endthereof in lthe direction of the arrow A in Fig. 3.

At its inner end and opposite its end-Wall 35, theswitch-frame I4 is Aformed with a ring-like annular-flange 59, the outer face of which abuts against the outer'face of the front-plate I0 of the actuating-mechanism frame I3. The said ringlike flange 59 is formed with three (more or less) arcuate-slots 60 as is shown particularly Well in Figs. 2 and 6. Extending through each of 'the arcuate-slots is one of three binding-screws 6I each of which is in threaded engagement with one of three. threaded bores 62, formed -in the front-plate I0 of the frame I3.

-By loosening the three binding-screws 6I, the

actuating-mechanism frame I3 and the switch- Y frame I4 may be turned or oriented with respect to each other about the control-shaft 33 as a center, -to alter the relationship between the control-wheels 36 and the respective cam-fingers 4I) of the contact-arms 39 for purposes as will more fully hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of making clear the operation of the particular device illustrated in the drawings let it be assumed that alternating current is being applied to the synchronous-electric motorstructure I5 through its leads I8 and I9 so that the driving-pinion I1 thereof will effect the con- Itlnuous lproperly-timed rotation of the gearwheel 2II and the sector-actuating pinion 22.

As -the sector-actuating pinion 22 turns, it will turn the latch-sector 54 and hence also .the latching-stud 5I carried by the latter to further tension the pre-tensioned spring 55. Ultimately in the turning of the latching-stud 5I, its semi-cylindrical latching-head 52 will ride clear of lthe latching-post 53 and thereby permit,.the spring to assert itself and snap or swing the entire stop-arm one revolution together with 'the latchsector 54, latching-stud 5I, and spring 55, which elements will bodily move with the said stoparm. By the time that the stop-arm has completed one revolution, the latching-head 52 of the latching-stud 5I will have been turned so as to engage with the latching-post 5l until again released after the lapse of a predetermined interval, by the turning of the latch-sector 54 by 'the pinion 22, as above described.

During the rapid swinging movement of the stop-arm 28 under the power of the intermittentmovement-transmitting spring 55, the said arm will similarly turn the intermittently-driven pinion 24 and thus, through the chain of parts 21, 30 and 32, effect the partial turning of the control-shaft 33. The turning of the control-shaft- 33 will effect the simultaneous advancement of the control-wheels 36-36 through an arc of 6 in the particular mechanism shown. It will be understood, of course, that the amount of turning movement imparted to the control-wheels 36-36, or their equivalent, may be varied to meet diil'erent requirements.

Dependent upon the positioning and extent of the cam-lugs 31 of the control-wheels 36-36, their respective cooperating contact-arms 39-39 will be ilexed to separate the movable contact from the stationary .contact 46 during some or all of the step-by-step turning movements of the said control-wheels.

Should it be desired, for any reason, to manually advance the control-wheels 36-36, this may be done by turning the'nger-button 33a of the control-shaft 33, thus causing the. pinion 30 to ratchet ahead with respect to the pawls 3I-3| carried by the gear-wheel 21. Preferably, the number of teeth on the pinion 30 is such that the advancement of the same a distance of one tooth will correspond to the advancement of the control-shaft 33 through one of its predetermined step-by-step movements.

Inasmuch as there is included in the mechanism for imparting step-by-,step turning movement to the control-Wheels 315-36, or their equivalent, a relatively-complex and long chain of parts, the problem of insuring the correct positioning of the said control-wheels with respect to the cam-fingers 4U of the flexible contact-arms 39-39 at the end of each step-by-step movement, is one which requires attention.

If it is found that the control-wheels 36-36 are not sufdciently advanced at the conclusion of one of their step-by-step movements, the camiingers 40 of the respective contact-arms 39-39 may be retired sufficiently to provide the desired timing by rst loosening the binding-screws 6i and then turning the switch-frame I4 to the required degree in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. If, on the other hand, it is found that the control-wheels 36--36 are too far advanced with respect to the cam-iingers 40-40 at the conclusion of any given step-by-step impulse imparted to the said control-wheels, the entire switch-frame i4 may be turned with respect to the actuating-mechanism frame I3 in a clockwise direction, to thereby advance the camiingers 40-40 with respect to the said controlwheels 36-36. After adjustment or timing has been effected, the binding-screws 6l should be tightened to thus firmly interlock the switchframe I4 with the actuating-mechanism frame I3.

.The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes `coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. An automatic switch-mechanism, comprising: an actuating-mechanism frame; a switchframe movable with respect to the said actuatingmechanism frame; a substantially-continuouslymoving driving-member carried by the said actuating-mechanism frame; a movable switchactuating member; intermittent-drive means operatively interconnecting the said substantial'- ly-continuously-moving driving-member and the said movable switch-actuating member to cause y actuating member and the said switch-means.

2. An automatic switch-mechanism, comprising: an actuating-mechanism frame; a switchframe turnable with respect to the said actuatingmechanism frame; a substantially-continuouslyrotating driving-member carriedby the said actuating-mechanism frame; a control-shaft; a rotary switch-actuating member carried by the said control-shaft; intermittent-drive means operatively interconnecting the said substantiallycontinuously-rotating driving-member and the said control-shaft to cause the former to effect the intermittent turning movement of the latter and the switch-actuating member carried by the said control-shaft; switch-means carried by the said switch-frame for movement therewith and having a portion extending into position for actuation by the said rotary switch-actuating member; and releasable clamping-means for interlocking the said actuating-mechanism frame and the said switch-frame against relative turning movement and, when released, permitting relative turning movement between the said frames to effect proper timing between the-said rotary switch-actuating member and the said switch-means.

3. An automatic switch-mechanism, comprising:an actuating-mechanism frame; a switchframe turnable with respect to the said actuating- .mechanism frame; i a substantially-continuously- -Y rotating driving-member carried by the said actuating-mechanism frame; a control-shaft journaled in both of the aforesaid frames; a rotary switch-actuating member carried by the said control-shaft; intermittent-drive means operatively interconnecting the said substantially-continuously-rotating driving-member and the said control-shaft to cause the former to effect the intermittent turning movement of the latter in both of said frames and the switch-actuating member carried by the said control-shaft; switchmeans carried by the said switch-frame for movement therewith and having a portion extending into position for actuation by the said rotary switch-actuating member; and releasable clamping-means for interlocking the said actuating- -mechanism frame and the said switch-frame against relative turning movement and, when released, perrnitting relative turning movement between the said frames to eiiect proper timing between the said rotary'switch-actuating member and the said switch-means.

` 4. An automatic switch-mechanism, comprising: an actuating-mechanism frame; a switchframe turnable with respect to the said actuatingmechanism frame; a substantially-continuouslymoving driving-member carried by the said actuating-mechanism frame; a rotary switch-actuating member; intermittent-drive means opera- 5 tively interconnecting the said substantially-continuously-moving driving-member rand the said rotary switch-actuating member to cause the former to effect the intermittent turning of the latter; .switch-means carried by the said switchframe for turning therewith and having a portion extending into position for actuation by the said rotary switch-actuating member; one of the said frames being provided with a plurality of arcuate clearance-slots; and a plurality of binding-screws respectively extending through one of the arcuate clearance slots in the frame provided therewith and into clamping engagement with the other of said frames to hold both thereof against relative turning movement and, when released, permitting relative turning movement between the said frames to eiect proper timing between the said rotary switch-actuating member and the said switch-means.

5. An automatic switch-mechanism, comprising: an actuating-mechanism frame; a switchframe turnable with respect to the said actuating-mechanism frame; a substantially-continuously-moving driving-member carried by the said actuating-mechanism frame; a rotary switchactuating member; operatively interconnecting the said substantially-continuously-moving driving-member and the said rotary switch-actuating member to cause the former to eiect the intermittent turning of the latter; switch-means carried by the said switch-frame for turning therewith and having a portion extending into position for actuation by the said rotary switch-actuating member; one of the said frames being provided with a plurality 40 of arcuate clearance-slots and the other of said frames being provided with a plurality of threadved sockets; and a plurality of binding-screws one of which extends through a given one of the arcuate clearance-slots in the frame so provided e5 and into engagement with the threaded socket in the other of said frames to releasably interlock both of the said frames against relative turning movement and, when released, permitting re1- ative turning movement between the said frames 50 to effect proper timing between the said rotary switch-actuating member and the said switchmeans.

6. An automatic switch-mechanism, comprising: an actuating-mechanism frame; a switch- 55 frame turnable with respect to the said actuating-mechanism frame; a substantially-continuously-rotating driving-member carried by the said actuating-mechanism frame; a controlintermittent-drive meansshaft; a rotary switch-actuating member carried by the said control-shaft; intermittent-drive means operatively interconnecting the said substantially-continuously-rotating driving-member and the said control-shaft to cause the former to eiect the intermittent turning movement of the latter and the switch-actuating member carriedby the said control-shaft; a exible contactarm carried by the said switch-frame for movement therewith and provided with a cam-nger extending into position for actuation by the said rotary switch-actuating member; one of the said frames being provided with a plurality of arcuate clearance-slots; and a plurality of bindingscrews respectively extending through one of the arcuate clearance-slots in the frame provided therewith and into clamping engagement y with the other of said frames to hold both thereof against relative turning movement and, when released, permitting relative turning movement between the said frames to eect proper timing between thesaid rotary switch-actuating member and the cam-linger of the said switch-means.

7. An automatic'switch-mechanism, comprising: an actuating-mechanism frame; a switchframe turnable with respect to the said actuatingmechanism frame; a substantially-continuouslyrotating driving-member carried by the saidacmating-mechanism frame; a control-shaft; a rotary switch-actuating member carried by the said control-shaft; intermittent-drive means operatively interconnecting the said substantially-continuously-rotating driving-member and the said control-shaft to cause the former to effect the intermittent turning movement of the latter 'and the switch-actuating member carried by the said control-shaft; a exible contact-arm carried by the said switch-frame for movement therewith and provided with a. cam-finger extending into position for actuation by the said rotary switch-actuating member; one of the said frames being provided with a plurality of arcuate clearance-slots and the other of said frames being provided with a plurality of threaded sockets respectively registering with one of the plurality of arcuate clearance-slots in the other of said frames; and a plurality of binding-screws respectively extending through one of the arcuate clearance-slots in one of the said frames and into engagement with the adjacent one of the threaded sockets in the other of said frames to interlock `4both the said frames against relative turning movement and, when released, permitting relative turning movement between the said frames to adjust the position of the cam-finger of the said exible contact-arm with respect to the said rotary switch-actuating member.

ARTHUR B. POOLE. 

